Engadget has recently revealed additional evidence of a Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone, including pictures of a prototype handset running Google’s Android operating system. This has prompted speculation on a Christmas release of the long-awaited bridge between mobile and gaming.

The PlayStation phone could potentially give Sony Ericsson a new edge in the smartphone game, particularly if it runs on Android 3.0, which is a newer, more advanced version of the Android used for tablets and high-powered mobile phones.

Engadget reports that the prototype has 512Mb of RAM, 1Gb of ROM, and includes 2 PlayStation controller buttons and a central touchpad. Engadget first got hold of this information in August, and has announced that the phone will likely include PlayStation’s signatures: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare; God of War; and LittleBigPlanet. There is also speculation of 3D games and augmented reality games.

This would not be the first collaboration between the telephone and gaming companies. PlayStation and Sony have worked together on previous handsets, producing Sony Ericsson phones that are built with PS3 ‘Remote Play’ functionality. These have allowed users to remotely connect to their PS3 console, watch locally-stored video material and adjust system settings. But the models did not support PS3 game playing.

This new, evolved model would allow Sony Ericsson to launch a new section of the Android Marketplace specifically for PSP Android Games.